In memory of the truly remarkable Dr Rodger Fox

In memory of the truly remarkable Dr Rodger Fox

Dr Rodger Fox, CMZM     • January 7, 1953 – May 27, 2024

Accomplished rugby players, in this country, are feted all their lives. But compared to many accomplished musicians and artists, their productive life is relatively short.

About the time Colin Meads was hanging up his boots after 55 All Black tests over 15 years,  a young Rodger Fox was just starting his “big band”, which would go on to play a few more than 55 tests. In fact, the Rodger Fox Big Band performed countless gigs and recording sessions, both here and around the world, over more than 50 years.

Rodger was already a seasoned performer in 1973, with stand-outs such as Quincy Conserve, the 1860 Band and others. By this time, he was in the upper echelon of New Zealand trombonists and could musically turn his hand to almost any genre – rock, pop, blues – but his first love was jazz, especially the earth-moving big band sound.

Back in the early 70s there were a few jazz bands in New Zealand and Rodger went looking. But the prodigious talent he possessed was not sufficient to provide an invitation to join any of them. No, the old codgers were going to make sure the fraternity would not be tainted by any young upstart, so Rodger gathered together a posse of keen young musicians, and the Rodger Fox Big Band was unleashed.

Over those 50 years, the Rodger Fox Big Band was far and away New Zealand’s premiere jazz band. They recorded 44 albums and were awarded the Aotearoa Music Award (Tui) for the best New Zealand Jazz Recording of the Year four times. In 1980 they became the first New Zealand band to play at the Monterey Jazz Festival.

They did all that and retained freshness through Rodger’s relentless drive to bring in the best young talent, as others moved on. Over the years the band has seen scores of people come and go, but it always retained a healthy mix of seasoned professionals and enthusiastic young talent.

The Rodger Fox I got to know in recent years was many things – world-class musician, big band maestro, recording artist and arranger – but many would agree his biggest contribution and legacy is in education and inspiring the next generation of musicians.

He was instrumental in countless jazz programmes and festivals for young people and, at the time of his passing, senior tutor at the New Zealand School of Music – Te Kōkī, and the driving force behind Young Jazz Band-it (secondary schools’ jazz competition). But perhaps his greatest contribution was simply his care and mentorship of countless students and aspiring musicians. For example, among the many Facebook tributes I spotted this:

“I was 11 and playing for the Tauranga Big Band in the Big Band Night of the Tauranga Jazz Festival. Rodger introduced himself to me and gave me some of the best musical advice, something I tell my students all the time. His words (well close to these) were “You sound great man! Just remember as you get better and gain more experience . . . don’t be a dick! People like me don’t hire the greatest musician they can find, they hire someone they can easily work with that will do the job rather than the guy who plays 50,000 notes in a solo and lets you know how great they are!

“Rodger took great interest in my musicianship as I developed as a player through high school, and he was one of the main reasons I moved to Wellington to study.”

In recent years I’d got to know Rodger Fox rather well, working alongside him professionally. But with Rodger, it was impossible to work with him without becoming “a mate”, because he also enjoyed the simple things in life such as hanging out over a beer or paying a regular visit to Wellington’s Green Parrot cafe.

These things rather masked the fact that he was driven by his love of music and was one of New Zealand’s finest artists. Testament to that was his vast professional network and the path beaten to his door by some of the best music people of our generation. He was always looking for something or someone new and his projects took in a long list of collaborators here, and around the world, for example, King Kapisi, Dave Dobbin, Michael Houstoun, Simon O’Neill, Midge Marsden, Randy Crawford, Steve Gadd, Diane Schuur, Adam Schroeder and Michael Brecker to name a few.

In the 2003 Queen’s Birthday Honours, he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM), for services to music. His friends and family gathered for the investiture to show unrivalled pride in his lifetime achievements.

In 2005 he was conferred with an honorary doctorate (DMus) by Massey University and in the 2022 New Year Honours list, Rodger was promoted to Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM), for services to music.

Rodger was the son of the late Louis and Betty Fox, loved partner of Erna Ferry, father of Kerryann and brother of Tony, Margy, Elizabeth, Christopher and Felicity.

Dave Wilson in The Post (June 1, 2024) said it fittingly: “Rodger Fox is a singular figure in the history of New Zealand music whose on-stage charisma, passion for music, and commitment to younger generations will likely never be matched.”